Category Archives: ACG

Variations on a theme

A small contingent of the ACG met in the Square on Friday evening…small mostly because someone called Murray was hitting a yellow ball somewhere… Luckily there were just enough of us to fall into the two groups required, so 3 of us took the high road, and 2 took the low road…

We did a very similar route to the one I did on Wednesday, albeit with the odd variation and slightly more hilliness. Due to the wiggles, we actually managed to meet up with the low road group twice, which was fairly impressive.

Cycling time: 1:08:46
Distance: 31.91 miles
Avs: 14.8 mph
ODO: 960 miles

It was definitely cooler than of late, though that may have been due to the head wind, which meant that I could keep my zip up and prevent all but the most persistent insects from using me as their preferred method for committing hari-kiri. It was a very pleasant ride all in all. We were fairly evenly matched, had a nice chat from time to time, and generally had the kind of ride that I wanted the ACG to exist for. Even now there’s noticeably less light in the evenings, so it won’t be long before evening rides are a thing of the past which is a shame as they’re very enjoyable. My civic duties are going to keep me away from the next couple of ACG rides too…but I’m sure they’ll do just fine without me! *grin*

Windmills of my mind

There was a point this week when I thought that, come 9am this morning, I would be standing in the Square on my own… As it turns out, this was not to be and (including myself) 5 members of the ACG gathered in the sunshine, ready to ride.

After a surprisingly short debate, we decided to head out to Brean Down, and duly set off. Half way up the road I realised that I’d left my bottle at home and with the heat and sun, this seemed like a bad idea. I nipped off home to get it, which left me tailing behind and with some work to do to catch up with the group. I put my foot down, so to speak, and managed to catch up just as they arrived in Loxton – which was one hell of a way to warm up!

The ride to Brean Down was not as peaceful as we might have hoped as there was an unexpected amount of traffic on the roads, including a string of 7 cars that hooned past us at nutty speeds far too close for comfort on the long straight road by the railway. Once onto the more wiggly and (usually) quieter bit we did a fine job of holding up the traffic desperate to get to the joys of Burnham-on-sea, though we did charitably stop and let them by from time to time. Ah well… On to a nice tea stop sitting outside the café in the sun watching the tide reclaim the mud – sorry – sand.

We decided to try and avoid the traffic and come back via Burnham, Highbridge, and Mark which, in retrospect, was not a good idea. The school holidays may not have started yet – remind me to avoid the area strenuously when they have – but the road was heaving with people trying to get to the beach/funfair/caravan park* (*delete as applicable). This made riding hard work and inevitably we got a bit strung out, only to pull ourselves together for the lovely stretch along the river path to Highbridge. The tide was so high there were actually people sailing off Burnham which I’ve never seen before.

From there it was back to Mark, past the restored Ashton windmill at Chapel Allerton, down “John’s Hill” to the main road from Wedmore. At this point we split up to allow everyone to go at their own pace. There being no wind, and my legs being on fairly fine form, I let loose (in so far as I can!) and hammered it straight down the road…at some point realising that D had caught and hooked on behind me. Now that was fun – flying down there… As was what is fast becoming my favourite little stretch of road from the petrol station back down the bypass to Axbridge – I can get some proper speed up there on a good day. And today was a good day 🙂

Cycling time: 2:27:33
Distance: 37.76 miles
Avs: 15.3 mph
ODO: 896 miles

Average was 15.7 at the break, but cycling with traffic slowed us down considerably… Still, pretty good really, and definitely enjoyable. I’m glad it wasn’t just me 🙂

Bristol’s Biggest Bike Ride

Another weekend, another event, albeit a more low-key one. Dad did Bristol’s Biggest Bike Ride last year, and recommended it. It was also Father’s Day, so it seemed only logical to go cycling with my Dad for it. On top of that it was almost an ACG Sunday outing, as he’s a member too, and we were joined by G who’s also from the group.

We arrived in Bristol a tad too early – which is what happens when you add contingency time to your plans and then don’t need it! Dad and I cycled through very quiet early morning streets from the car park to the Harbourside where various brightly coloured lycra clad people were gathering. The skeletal G found us amongst them without any problem, which was good. Having pre-registered, there was little to do other than mill around, admire other people’s bikes, marvel at some of the wackier bikes (choppers, unicycles, vintage etc), and some of the wackier people – there was a great Pirate doing it!

We all massed at the start at 9:30am, and were set off shortly afterwards. The first bit through Bristol was a little scarey as too many cyclists tried to get down the narrow roped-off route, but once on the closed Portway people started to spread out, find their pace, and get going.

It was a nice route. Along to the Avonmouth bridge and over it into Pill, where Dad had a minor collision with someone who thought undertaking was a good idea…which just proves it isn’t. Picked up, dusted off, remarkably unharmed, and off we went again. Along the Gordano Valley, past the group that had stopped for a fag break, to Clevedon, across the levels and up Brockley Coombe. This is the only real main climb of the route, and I’d only ever been down it before, so wasn’t sure what to expect and…actually I really enjoyed it! Who’d a thought it? It’s steeper at the bottom, but after that you can actually change down again. I even picked up a tail for a while, as I got into my rythm and pushed up to the top. Took a brief break to wait for Dad to catch up and then…

A little wiggle around the reservoirs to avoid the main road to cross and go through Barrow Gurney where there’s a short but very steep hill which caught many unawares, and left them grabbing for gears and failing miserably…carnage! I managed to squeeze through two such unfortunates and stand my way to the top, which was cool. Then it was back through Long Ashton, Ashton Court (killer speed bumps!) into Bristol proper where we joined up with the traffic from various other routes. We cautiously threaded our way back through the hordes to return to the Harbourside.

The weather was just about perfect – warm, not too sunny, and just a touch of drizzle as we came into Bristol which cleared as we sat and enjoyed a little rehydration therapy afterwards. Well, as you do…

Cycling time: 2:22
Distance: 37.15 miles
Avs: 15.0 mph
ODO: 781 miles

With a little less traffic – both of the 4 and 2 wheeled variety – and pushing all the way, I reckon I could maybe even do it in under 2 hours…but we’ll never know *grin*. I think we all had a good ride – and I can think of much worse ways to spend Fathers’ Day! 🙂

One of our cyclists is missing…

It occurs to me that I ought to do yesterday’s ACG ride, before I do tomorrow’s Dragon Ride, otherwise it’ll never get done, so…

The ACG gathered in the Square at 5:30pm as planned, but with a larger turnout than expected. We had two groups – 4 “slower” and 6 “faster” – which worked out really well and means that hopefully everyone had a good ride.

G had volunteered to do the route, so I and the latter group headed out following him towards Cheddar, round the back and across to Nyland and then Wedmore. We were doing grand until we got on the main road out of Wedmore towards Wells where we all got a bit spread out due to the traffic and hills etc. and started losing people.

Three of us at the front took the planned right turn near Bleadney…and lost the three behind us. One of us went back looking… In the meantime the other three had taken an earlier right turn at Panborough and were doing, so to speak, the other two sides of the square. Fairly shortly we could see them coming across the levels, so we went up and met them at a crossroads. If you’re keeping count, you know that this means one of our cyclists was still missing… After a reasonable while, I and G from the original front party decided to redo the square, one each side) to see if we could find him…and just as we met at the apex, the missing bod appeared on the main road there too…all very formation cycling, Red Arrows type of stuff 🙂 We hurtled back to join the other three where we’d left them.

Only now there were two (this is getting very Agatha Christie), as one had gone ahead, reckoning that we’d catch him up soon enough… Oh dear. Well…we tried…but we got to one of those crossroad things, and he and we could have gone either way, and instead it all went a bit pear-shaped… To got a long story short, we never found him…again, one of our cyclists was missing. (Sorry J!).

The remaining five of us went round Godney way, to Westhay, where we went past the “slow” four, who’d seen our missing bod but didn’t know where he was… Onwards to Mark and back via Chapel Allerton and Notting Hill before coming back up via Cross to the Square all over again.

I have a “new” computer, but I’m not sure I wrote the stats down right before I went fiddling with batteries today – so here’s my best guess…

Cycling time: 2:02:55
Distance: 33.6 miles
Avs: 15.8mph
ODO: 556 miles

It was a good ride – though with a few too many evening bugs for dinner. My legs were feeling pretty good, which gave me hope for tomorrow. The weather and light held out – it was warmer than it looked when we set out, and I’d taken my lights with me just in case, but only put the back one on as a precautionary measure as we drew near home. I’ll tell you something, an evening ride is much more pleasant than an evening gym session 🙂

Right, back to eating pasta, and more pasta, and more carbs and packing, and generally panicking in preparation for tomorrow…

To misquote: “May the road rise up (not literally!) to meet me, may the wind be always at my back, and may the sun shine (not too) warm upon my face”…

PS: in other news – there’s a good reason my tyre developed that bulge – see here. Once tomorrow is behind me, I shall be taking the relevant photos, sending the email, and hopefully getting myself a new tyre. Or two, since I’m not sure I’d trust the front one now!

Oh my gosh

As planned, S and I were out today. We set off from the Square at 9:00am, with the sun shining and temperatures already rising. My “arms” stayed on as far as the bottom of the Gorge (yes that Gorge) before being stowed away – that’s how warm it was. And off we went, up the Gorge. S had promised me, in motivational fashion, that we could count the goats. Shame they didn’t appear until we were well up there…but hey, he did promise, and there they were. Having done the Gorge before, I do at least know I can make it up, even if I may not exactly enjoy it. It was no worse than usual really, and we emerged into the sunshine at the top unscathed…and met the wind, of course. Well, S called it a breeze, but I’m writing this, so there…

After that it was down to Chew Stoke, across the lakes to Chew Magna, through Norton Hawkfield, Queen Charlton (we have some great place names around here), Chewton, Keynsham, Saltford and on to the Bath-Bristol cycle path for a bit. My computer flooped around Bitton station for some reason (I blame the chatty Sustrans fundraiser), leaving me to rely on S for stats again. (Not amused!). On to Bridge Yate, Wick, Doynton, and then the Most Killer Hill up to the Toll Road Café on the A46 at Dyrham. A BIG hill. Not that was the only hill mind – not by any means – it was merely the worst among equals *grin*. I surely was glad to get to that café…hot, bothered, soaked to the skin and in need of restorative sustenance.

1/2 way stats:
Cycling time: 2:53
Distance: 36.88 miles
Avs: 13.72 mph

Tea and very lovely New Zealand carrot cake were seriously welcome, as was the coolth (and I maintain that that’s a word) inside the café. And the cold water I splashed all over my face in the Ladies. (And no, I don’t know what the carrot cake had to do with New Zealand…).

All too soon it was time to head back, and it had proper heated up by now. At one point my computer was claiming 30C…which is not the most comfortable for riding. By any means. However, the only way to get home was to push those pedals so….down (wheeeeee…..) Tog Hill on the A420, back through Wick, out to Warmley, round some wiggle cycle way bits to Brislington, Stockwood, and out towards Dundry.

Whereupon we met a very Big Hill. Too big for me by half and then some. Even the cars that went past us were struggling! It was time for some hamstring stretching… I did get back on briefly, but got round the corner…and up it went…and then it got steeper. No sirree jim bob… S managed to stay back on but, to be fair, he wasn’t cycling any faster than I was walking! *grin*.

Once up it was down to Winford (where we met a section of the ACG also out enjoying the sun), some lovely lovely downs ’round Butcombe, and across the lake at Blagdon (please lads, just cos the sun is out, doesn’t mean I want to see all that skin). We considered Blagdon Hill, but with the decision being left up to me, that was hardly likely now was it?! *grin*. We grabbed some extra fluid (lovely and cold) at the shop there and, feeling restored, went zooming down to Rickford, across to Churchill, Sandford, Winscombe…and wound up with a sprint finish down the bypass (29mph+ I’ll have you know – eat your heart out Lance) to get home just before my 3pm deadline.

Oddly we then discovered a large bulge in my rear tyre. Looks like the tyre pressure was too high, then there’s the heat to push it up more…and the inner tube has gone mental. S assures me the tyre will be ok, and that I just need to replace the tube. Good thing it lasted long enough to get me home!

2nd half stats (according to me):
Cycling time: 2:17:34
Distance: 34.3miles
Avs: 15.0 mph

It really was too hot to be out today. As you can see, we came back quite a bit faster – which has to have been the wind, since I was wiped when it came to any kind of up. I don’t cycle at my best when I’m overheating. It’s a darned good thing I put suntan cream on before I went out, and even then I’ve missed the odd bit – my mitt marks are even worse now, I look like Herman Munster – someone cut my hands off and stuck white ones on! Oh – until you get to the last knuckle where I get my own fingers back again that is *grin*.

S is, as ever, a star for sorting the route, and sticking with me. I wouldn’t do half the miles/hills without him, and I probably need to, even if I’m moaning about it all the while!

Total stats:
Cycling time: 5:10ish
Distance: 71.18 miles
Avs: 14.3 mph
ODO: 383 miles

Excuse the long blog – it was a long ride!

PS – to the idiot who threw a half full milkshake out of the car window at me near Shute Shelve…well, words escape me…ok, they don’t, but I’d best not put them down here!

The ACG divides and conquers

The ACG were out as planned on Saturday. Mind you, that’s about all that did go to plan! We started off as 7, and rapidly decreased in number. Due to our varying abilities, and the fact that we started off down the main road, we got spread out a bit. Two of the faster lads hurtled off…never to be seen again! Two of the newer and less used to it members chose variously to head home early, leaving just three of us. Ah well…best laid plans and all that.

We headed out into the wind, in the sunshine, and wiggled our way to Glastonbury, where we had coffee in the Rainbow café – a favourite stop of mine. And then we wiggled back again, somewhat faster with less sunshine, but with the wind behind us 🙂

Cycling time: 2:43:18
Distance: 36.69 miles
Avs: 13.4 mph
ODO: 218 miles

A very nice ride in the sun all in all. Apparently the splinter group had a good ride too – somewhat hillier and longer than ours, so more power to ’em! *grin*. It’s hard trying to please everyone, and it’s all very dependent on who turns out and what their abilities are.

Speed machine

The ACG were out again this morning. There were four of us today – a pretty evenly matched group – my Dad and I, K and G. Four is a good number to manage – you can cycle 2 * 2 abreast in the quiet bits and chat, and as a line of four, you don’t p*ss the other road users off too much.

K had suggested we head out to Brean Down, and I knocked up a route on bikely for that. We set off at 9:30am and took a pretty direct route there – through Cross, up the Bleadon Hill, across the A38 over the flats to the café there, where we had a nice cup of coffee sitting outside in the sun overlooking the beach.

We came back in slightly more circuitous fashion – through Berrow, to Brent Knoll, Mark, Chapel Allerton, Wedmore and home again. I’m still devoid of cycling computer so am relying on my Dad’s computer for the following:

Cycling time: 2:10:00 approx
Distance: 34.1 miles
Avs: 15.9 mph
ODO: 95.1 miles

The weather was glorious. Very little wind, plenty of sunshine. My new bike felt really good – very smooth. I’ve pretty much got the hang of the new gears, though I still make daft errors from time to time. As we were, for the most part, avoiding hills, I didn’t get to practice downhill braking, but I did get to stand up a couple of times. Having narrower handlebars means you have less leverage to pull with your arms and push down with your legs – it’s a much smaller tighter maneuvre somehow. Whether it works as well remains to be seen! Has to be said, I’m loving the new bike more and more though 🙂

We made really good time – as you can see – and it was a lovely ride. The roads were full of other brightly coloured lyrcra clad folk who were making the most of it just like us. Shame there had to be quite so many folk enjoying the roads on four wheels! 😉

Fame

I forgot to link to it, but I made it into last week’s Cheddar Valley Gazette, with a really nice little piece written by someone who’s clearly been all over this website to get the details 🙂 Apparently I’m a “seasoned cyclist”. I like that *grin*. And they very kindly listed all my sponsors too – ‘rah! Read it here.

I’m supposed to be riding today, but the extreme wind and the rain are currently proving somewhat of a deterrent – I’m going to review the situation this afternoon. I’ve only been out once this week, and am going out on Sunday with the ACG, but I guess the week after an event I shouldn’t feel too bad about taking it a little bit easier. Well, not that much easier, as I’ve been going to the gym instead! 😉

That cold wheel turns

The ACG were out again yesterday morning. Five hardy souls met in the Square and were away promptly at 9am. Blimey was it ever nippy! K had figured us out a route which took us out via Wedmore (where the hills helped us warm up a bit) across the levels to Shapwick, along through Catcott, back through the back roads and up to Mark and then home again. We had a lovely coffee stop at Richs Cider Farm where I’d never been before – and where the warm coffee was more than nice, it was essential!

Cycling time: 2:20:03
Distance: 34.210 miles
Avs: 14.7 mph
ODO: 9460.5 miles

It was a really nice ride – and once the sun came out after coffee, the temperature rose noticeably. We were a bit faster than usual, I think just to make sure we all stayed warm! OK, so maybe shorts were a tad OTT – but I can’t go back to longs now – it’s a mental thing. Besides, I have a tan to work on 😉 This is not to say that a winter jacket wouldn’t have in handy though! *grin*

Out with the ACG

I wasn’t able to go last time the ACG went out, as I was attending the L2P preview day thingy in London. No such obstacles this weekend, so I was up in the Square at 9:30am all ready to go. I was joined by three other members – including one new one – and we headed out towards Glastonbury. It was fairly gloomy to start with, but brightened up continually as we went along. Our new member left us at Wedmore, it being his first time out in a while, leaving three of us to go across the levels in the sunshine. We got almost into Glastonbury and then turned back towards home, to stop at Sweets for our coffee stop. Well – K likes to have his bacon butty (or equivalent) and the vegeterian café in Glastonbury just doesn’t tick his boxes *grin*.

Cycling time: 2:17:52
Distance: 31.456 miles
Avs: 13.7 mph
ODO: 9162.5 miles

The sun shone but wow…did the wind ever blow! We got our direction wrong, meaning that we were into the wind the entire way home. The shortest route home took us up Mudgeley Hill which was the first time for J – which is cool. I remember the first couple of times I did that hill when I started – and it nearly killed me! These days it’s much easier, but I think a lot of that is just knowing how to do it, and that I can do it. After that it was just a nice run home. We got a bit spread out from time to time – it’s hard finding a pace that suits everyone – but I think we all had a good time.

After my cold – which seems to be on the way out now – it was lovely to be back on the bike in the sun 🙂